Cooper (The Family Simon Book 6) by Juliana Stone Read Free Book Online

should be thinking about. The one Lee Holloway needed to tell. Always one to dig deeper, Cooper knew he had time to learn Morgan’s story. He wasn’t exactly sure why it was so important to him. Was it the look in her eyes? Or just plain old curiosity?
    Either way, he needed to push all thoughts of Morgan Campbell and her family aside. Cooper Simon had to disappear, and Lee Holloway needed to make an appearance.
    He rolled up his sleeves, opened his document, and got to work.

6
    M organ arrived at the old McLaren estate exactly five minutes before nine in the morning. With only a few days until spring, winter still clung to the area, but even she had to admit there were signs that the changing of seasons was upon them. The snow was beginning to melt, leaving wide swaths of mud and dirt, while small buds were beginning to appear on the trees. Patches of color sprouted where the sun hit, and she spied a robin swooping low over the house.
    Not exactly sure what was expected of her, she’d brought along her cleaning things, but Morgan decided to investigate a bit before hauling everything up to the attic.
    She cut the engine and peered at the house, her gaze slowly sweeping upward until it rested on the stained glass windows that adorned each side of the upper level. This place had been in the McLaren family for over one hundred years and, as far as Morgan knew, had stood empty for at least the last twenty. Before Cooper Simon, that is.
    Seemed a shame that it had fallen into the hands of an outsider.
    And that was exactly what he was—an outsider. He didn’t belong in Fisherman’s Landing any more than the humpback whale who’d made a home in the harbour a few years back did. So why was he here? What was he doing?
    “Why do I care?” she murmured, sliding from the car.
    It was still cool this time of morning, and she shivered as she ran up the steps leading to the porch. The damn twinge in her leg was back, and she winced, taking a moment before she reached for the door. There was a note pinned to it, and she grabbed the piece of paper, glancing around before taking a few moments to read it. The penmanship was clean with bold strokes, and relief flooded her as she scanned the message.

    Please let yourself in. I’ve made sure the heat is on so you shouldn’t be cold. I’ve also left a ledger. There’s quite a bit to organize and catalogue, so I’ll leave that up to you. If you have any questions, I’m working out back in the shop today. Don’t hesitate to come get me. Cooper.

    S he didn’t know she’d been holding her breath until it fell out of her in a rush. Feeling more than a little silly, she glanced around one last time and then let herself inside. The house was silent, and she quickly doffed her boots and hung up her jacket.
    “Hello?” She waited a couple of heartbeats and then, satisfied she was alone, headed for the stairs. The door to the attic was at the far end of the hall, and it was open. She passed Cooper’s bedroom, noting the unmade bed, an open suitcase propped against the wall, and a stack of books beside a dresser.
    She wondered what kind of books a man like Cooper Simon would read and then, with a shrug, headed for the narrow stairs that led to the attic. Once she reached the top, she paused, hand on the railing as she drank in a sight that would be an antique lover’s dream. Mouth slightly open, she took a step forward and turned in a full circle.
    The space was huge, encompassing the entire breadth of the house, and while there was some open space, most of the area was filled top to bottom. Furniture. Antiques. Paintings. Piles of books. Boxes and trunks. Dishes. Was that a sewing machine?
    And there was dust. Lord, but there was dust. She sneezed and shuddered, shaking off a weird sensation as a cold draft blew through the attic.
    She wandered among the McLaren belongings, slowly making her way to the far side, and peeked out one of the floor-to-ceiling windows. The sun that